Why do my fish keep coming off?

[RippinLips57]

Hey everybody, I've saltwater fished all my life and I wanted to try somthin diffrent so I bought a little 16 foot Lowe and I just started learning where to look for them what to use and just starting to catch a couple of them, I'm just starting to figure them out but on an average I catch 2 bass a day but I hook around 4 not including those two I caught. How do I increase my catches? I'm not used to having to set the hook, offshore you just wait for them to bite and they do it all, you don't have to set the hook, so as soon as you feel a bump do you set it or do you wait a second and then set it. I normally hook them but they jump and spit it. Am I not setting it hard enough or setting it to quick or what, and normally I catch them on mid diving cranks so it's not just one hook like on a jig you'd figure that those trebles would stick and keep them on but I guess not lol. If you have any advice that will help me out tell me. Appreciate it  

[visagelaid]

If youre fishing a crankbait, there isnt a whole lot of need to "set" the hook like you would on a jig or worm.  With a crankbait, when you feel them load up on the bait, you simply reel faster, or you could try a sweeping motion that will dig the hooks in better.  With a crank its all about pressure and keeping that fish pinned and the line tight.  With a jig or worm, generally once i feel the bite or bump, i will reel down and see if i feel pressure.  If it is heavier than normal, i set that bad boy.  But just realize that sometimes fish are going to come off regardless of what you do.  It is just a part of fishing.

[scaleface]

Try not to let them jump . Hold the rod low when they start going upward . If your using soft plastics with the hook buried , set the hook harder and do not hesitate . 

 

I went through a period where I was losing a lot of big bass . I was trying to  muscle them in  like some of  the pros do .  Now I dont get in a hurry unless its needed , like trying to get them out of cover  .

 

 I watched John Murray play those big bass at Toledo Bend .Thats the way to do it .

[roadwarrior]

Technique specific gear will help a little.

 

Rod:  Medium Heavy Power/ Moderate or Slow Action

Reel:  6.0:1 or slower (I like 5.0:1)

Line:  Monofilament (#10 or #12 Sunline Shooter Deifer Armilo)

 

[Catt]

Set hook with authority!

 

Ya gotta turn that head on the hook set & get em coming towards you in a single motion!

 

Do Not Wait!

 

At the first sign... Set hook

[RippinLips57]

1 hour ago, visagelaid said:

If youre fishing a crankbait, there isnt a whole lot of need to "set" the hook like you would on a jig or worm.  With a crankbait, when you feel them load up on the bait, you simply reel faster, or you could try a sweeping motion that will dig the hooks in better.  With a crank its all about pressure and keeping that fish pinned and the line tight.  With a jig or worm, generally once i feel the bite or bump, i will reel down and see if i feel pressure.  If it is heavier than normal, i set that bad boy.  But just realize that sometimes fish are going to come off regardless of what you do.  It is just a part of fishing.

Alright so with trebles I don't really need to set it just kinda reel into it. But like jigs and Texas rigs you gotta set it. Alright I gotcha man I didnt think about that. 

[visagelaid]

For me fishing a crankbait, once i feel that pressure, its almost natural for me to sweep that rod back.  Its not really a hookset, but it increases that pressure and you'll know real quick if you're hung, or if youve got a fish.

[RippinLips57]

18 minutes ago, Catt said:

Set hook with authority!

 

Ya gotta turn that head on the hook set & get em coming towards you in a single motion!

 

Do Not Wait!

 

At the first sign... Set hook

So just set it as soon as you feel em?

[jr231]

26 minutes ago, Catt said:

Set hook with authority!

 

Ya gotta turn that head on the hook set & get em coming towards you in a single motion!

 

Do Not Wait!

 

At the first sign... Set hook

 

 

Lol your first sentence.. I just pictured him setting the hook like that on a total dink and it goes flying out of the water 

[RoLo]

 

A solid hook-set is a combination of Timing and Power.

Mechanically speaking, a faulty hook-set is when the hook fails to penetrate 'beyond' the barb.

It's vital to master the hook-set, because on a day when you only get 5 strikes, you have zero margin-for-error.

It's no fun casting for several hours, only to experience losing a fish.

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jr231]

I wouldnt use cheap hooks either ! And I like using braid for nearly every application. Especially single hook and topwater. The sensitivity, casting distance and no stretch strength allows me to hook up with a weightless plastic at full length of my cast rather easily. 

[scaleface]

25 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

 

 

Lol your first sentence.. I just pictured him setting the hook like that on a total dink and it goes flying out of the water 

 

The problem is , I cant tell a dink from a Mama so I have to duck the occasional flying bass .

[RoLo]

12 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

I wouldnt use cheap hooks either ! And I like using braid for nearly every application. Especially single hook and topwater. The sensitivity, casting distance and no stretch strength allows me to hook up with a weightless plastic at full length of my cast rather easily. 

 

As much as I wanted to mention braid as being a shortcut to solid hook-sets,

I've been overly vocal about braid and decided to give it a rest. 

Thanks for filling that gap 

 

Roger

[RippinLips57]

16 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

I wouldnt use cheap hooks either ! And I like using braid for nearly every application. Especially single hook and topwater. The sensitivity, casting distance and no stretch strength allows me to hook up with a weightless plastic at full length of my cast rather easily. 

Yeah I use braid for almost everything 

[scaleface]

Braid with no stretch and a jumping bass . yep , shes coming off  .

[visagelaid]

Ive really come around to braid with a fluorocarbon leader.  You get the invisibility benefits of fluoro, and the hook setting power of braid.  Ive been experimenting with it for the last few months, and have had good results.  Im late on the leader train, but it really does work. 

[jr231]

17 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Braid with no stretch and a jumping bass . yep , shes coming off  .

Lol no sir ! Cuz I stuck her pass the barb with the slightest pull ! 

[RoLo]

10 hours ago, scaleface said:

Braid with no stretch and a jumping bass . yep , shes coming off  .

 

 

Point well taken.

In my case though, if she's a Hippo I'm going to back-off on the drag,

which makes it extremely difficult for any fish to find freedom (It feels like cheating).

Since I've been doing this for years, I should warn of the 2 disadvantages

> Never reduce drag tension before the hog is out of heavy cover (sometimes that's never)

> After every big fish you must remember to re-tighten the drag-setting (It becomes 2nd nature).

 

Roger

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Yeajray231 said:

 

 

Lol your first sentence.. I just pictured him setting the hook like that on a total dink and it goes flying out of the water 

 

I don't care if it's a tighteye or 10 pounder I set hook the same!

 

Yea I duck an occasional t-rig, jig, or fish but I'll never miss because I didn't stick em!

 

I grew up fishing the swamps & marshes of southwest Louisiana & like @RoLo down in Florida the cover is quite dense.

 

You might hook em but you aint landing em!

[RippinLips57]

Will braid work with crankbaits if I back on down on my drag, because IMO as long as you get them past the  barb they shouldn't come off right and braid has no stretch so it should be able to drive that hook in the fishes lip with minimum effort and I think that's my problem because Im not setting it hard enough and Im scared that im going to rip it out the fishes mouth and I'm not gettin that hook past the barb and I think my drags a little too tight too.

[visagelaid]

2 minutes ago, RippinLips57 said:

Will braid work with crankbaits if I back on down on my drag, because IMO as long as you get them past the  barb they shouldn't come off right and braid has no stretch so it should be able to drive that hook in the fishes lip with minimum effort and I think that's my problem because Im not setting it hard enough and Im scared that im going to rip it out the fishes mouth and I'm not gettin that hook past the barb and I think my drags a little too tight too.

Short answer is yes.  I do it all the time.  Especially in stained water.  Fluorocarbon is apparently the preferred crankbait line of choice because it sinks and doesnt mess with the action as much as lines that float.

[RippinLips57]

12 minutes ago, visagelaid said:

Short answer is yes.  I do it all the time.  Especially in stained water.  Fluorocarbon is apparently the preferred crankbait line of choice because it sinks and doesnt mess with the action as much as lines that float.

Yeah that's what everyone says to use with cranks but I heard that Fluro stretches real easiy and after a long day of castin it's all stretched out and when it's streatched it gets real weak, that's why I'm leaning more towards braid but I haven't tried fluro so I don't know. What # braid do you use with cranks?

[J Francho]

Not sure where you got that information from, but I'd ignore everything else from that source.  Braid with cranks can be done, but it's not something I prefer.  I use 12# Tatsu for most of my deep cranking.  I have line that is two seasons old, and it's just fine.  I'm currently testing a new mono from Seaguar called Rippin'.  So far, it's pretty good.  12# size line strikes a good balance between strength and diameter.  Too thick, and your bait doesn't get to depth.  Too thin, and you'll break off, or have issues in cover.

[Clinton john]

Use the right, rod,reel and line for how your fishing.

 

When you feel a bite aka bump, reel down if you feel the fish try to jerk it's face off.

 

With cranks I'm going to have to disagree with others, when they hit it jerk it as hard as with any bait, it has more hooks and if you jerk it hard you are going to get a deeper hook set and more of the hook barb's will set.

 

I fish frogs they are my number 1 lure and you have to try and jerk a bass's face off when you set the hook with it, so I just started setting the hook that way no matter what bait I'm throwing and I have noticed the number of bass that throw my hook has dropped.

 

Others will disagree but do this go out fishing and no matter what bait your running set the hook as hard as you can each time and report back. I would be willing to bet you lose less fish due to them throwing the hook.

 

Just remember pick the right reel,rod and string for the job.

[blckshirt98]

Set the hook if you feel a bite, if you wait for a second bite it's probably the fish spitting the bait out.

 

Keep your rod tip down, even put the tip in the water, to keep the fish from jumping out of the water.  Bass jumping out of the water looks awesome and it's often the image captured on magazine covers and artwork, but it's one of the easiest ways for a bass to throw your hook.  You'll often hear pros whispering softly something along the lines of "no no no, stay down stay down, don't jump don't jump" when reeling a fish in because of that very reason.

 

Also make sure your system is in order so you're getting a strong enough hookset to penetrate the fish's jaw.  If you're fishing a bubba shot or heavy jig on a light rod with mono, you may just not be getting the right hook penetration to get the hook/barb into the fish's mouth.